Recipe Share – Holiday Edition!

In each edition of The Connection, we crowd source recommendations from our team, featuring Pacific Northwest favorites, everything from hikes and dog parks, to road trip destinations and restaurants. This edition, we’re sharing our favorite recipes (or order-out hacks!) for cozy holiday celebrations at home.

Swedish Pecans and Cashew Brittle

Recommended by: Sandy Grimm, Administration and Accounting Assistant

Why I love it: I make these treats every holiday season and they’re loved by both family and friends. Some years I’ve gone through twenty (yep, 2-0) pounds of butter making cashew brittle. It’s so easy to share and who doesn’t love buttery, sugary nuts in a caramel-like brittle that won’t chip your teeth?!

Pro Tip: Stir, stir, stir.

Swedish Pecan Recipe & Cashew Brittle Recipe

Dacha Diner

Recommended by: Phillip Weld, Civil CAD Technician & Family

Why I love it: Great food and you get a surprising amount for a reasonable price. We ordered what we thought would be a nice amount of breakfast for four people, which ended up being about twice as much as we needed! On the plus side, it also made for great leftovers. From the schvitz to the shachapuri, there were so many things I had never heard of before, but they were all delicious. They have plenty of beverages to-go as well, but since we just ordered breakfast, we decided to pass on the shots (this time).

Pro Tip: Don’t be scared of the Herring under a fur coat. It’s excellent and has such a unique flavor. It also makes for an awesome photo to brag to online friends about.

Dacha Diner Link

Cranberry Orange Bread

Recommended by: Rebecca Hix Collins, Senior Structural Project Manager

Why I love it: The red and orange fruit make this bread beautiful, plus it’s moist and both sweet and tart. Make it the day before a holiday and warm up for breakfast or for an afternoon snack! It’s great plain, with butter, or with whipped cream cheese (the easy-to-spread kind). Also, a loaf makes a perfect gift! I first baked this bread on a whim years ago and now it’s a favorite of my entire extended family.

Pro Tip: Buy extra bags of cranberries and toss them in the freezer for use throughout the winter!

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe

Breakfast Hash Brown Casserole

Recommended by: Sean Umeda, Structural Staff Engineer

Why I love it: Hash browns, eggs, sausage, and a lot of cheese! All the good breakfast foods in one yummy dish. It’s super easy to prep at night, so that when you wake up on Christmas morning you can just pop it in the oven. It’s definitely a holiday-worthy, low-stress breakfast to enjoy before running over to the relatives’ house for festivities!

Pro Tip: Ask your mom to make it. Let’s be honest, it always turns out better that way. Also, adding chopped up bread cubes helps tie the whole thing together!

Breakfast Hash Brown Casserole Recipe